The observatories gather qualitative information on human rights in communities affected by problems of violence and poverty from the perspective of the young people living there. For this purpose, groups are formed and trained under the guidance of researchers. These groups then carry out the actual research, communicating the results to other residents and the general public.

The project aims to empower young people and to involve them in community associations in an attempt to combine training in community action with a qualitative assessment of the human rights situation in the community. This assessment is intended to highlight day-to-day violations of these rights, evaluate the local impact of public policies and identify possible local measures to solve the problems.

The groups of observers are formed through partnership networks between research centres, community associations and civil society organizations so that there is an exchange of information and experience
among the various participating organizations and communities. In the final stage, all parties are involved in drawing up a report and a newsletter recording and publicizing their findings.
   
   
   
     
 
   
 
  • To help reduce human rights violations by rebuilding young people's social identity and empowering local leadership
  • To create communal spaces, promoting and encouraging the involvement of young people in community associations.
  • To gather information on the local situation with regard to human rights and perceptions of these rights, addressing this issue from the point of view of young people.
  • To develop a network of human rights observatories for the exchange of information and experience between the different organizations involved directly or indirectly with the project.
  • To disseminate the results of this work through publications aimed at young people and the general public.
   
 
   
     
 
   
 

The observatories are coordinated by organizations that deal with human rights issues and have experience in communitary relations. The coordination group selects community associations each one being responsible for a group of five young people acting as observers.

The young people are given a scholarship and receive training in human rights issues and observation methods, while at the same time collecting and recording qualitative information on the human rights situation in their communities. During this process, they communicate and exchange experiences with other young people's groups and associations that are active in the community, thereby creating a local network.

Once the observation phase is complete, the information gathered is used to produce a newsletter for young people as well as the Citizens' Report. Both publications are put together with the involvement of the young people and distributed among their own communities as well as to the general public.